Patient support apparatus for controlling patient ingress and egress

ABSTRACT

A patient support apparatus comprising a base movable about a floor surface and a deck comprising sections movable between deck configurations including an egress deck configuration. An articulation system coupled to the deck moves the sections. A lift mechanism moves the deck relative to the base between lift configurations including an egress lift configuration. An egress input is arranged for actuation by a user. A bed detection system monitors data associated with the patient support apparatus and communicates with a remote station. A controller interrupts communication of the bed detection system with the remote station, drives the articulation system to move the sections to the egress deck configuration, and drives the lift mechanism to move the support frame to the egress lift configuration in response to actuation of the egress input.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The subject patent application is a Continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/134,004, filed on Sep. 18, 2018, which claimspriority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/560,407, filed on Sep. 19, 2017, the disclosures of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates, generally, to patient supportapparatuses and, more specifically, to a patient support apparatus forcontrolling patient ingress and egress.

BACKGROUND

Patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, stretchers, cots,tables, wheelchairs, and chairs are used to help caregivers facilitatecare of patients in a health care setting. Conventional patient supportapparatuses comprise a base, a support frame, a patient support deckoperatively attached to the support frame, a lift assembly for liftingand lowering the support frame relative to the base, and actuatorsarranged to move sections of the patient support deck relative to thesupport frame.

Certain conventional patient support apparatuses, such as those realizedas hospital beds, are primarily employed to provide support to a patientlying on the patient support deck. To this end, one or more sections ofthe patient support deck provide support to the patient's head, torso,legs, and feet, allowing the patient to lay on their side, on their backin a supine position, and the like. In addition, one or more sections ofthe patient support deck can typically be moved or oriented relative toone another to promote patient comfort and to help facilitate patientmobility. By way of example, the patient support deck may be movableinto a fowlers position to allow the patient to lay upright.

In order to allow the patient to exit the hospital bed, the caregivergenerally activates the lift assembly to lower the patient support decktowards the base so as to position the patient vertically near thefloor. Depending on the type of patient support apparatus, the caregivermay also have to disarm or otherwise interrupt certain patientmonitoring devices, such as bed exit systems adapted to alert caregiverswhen the patient attempts to exit the patient support apparatus withoutassistance. While the patient can generally still exit the patientsupport apparatus even if the bed exit system is armed, the alarm willstill sound if the caregiver forgets to disable the bed exit systembefore helping the patient exit the patient support apparatus.

Once the bed exit systems have been disarmed, the patient re-orientstheir body to bring their legs and feet into contact with the floor atone side of the patient support apparatus. To this end, the patienttypically sits upright and turns sideways while moving their legs andfeet away from the patient support deck to bring their feet into contactwith the floor to stand. Upon returning to the patient supportapparatus, the patient generally follows the same procedure in reverseby sitting upright on the patient support apparatus with their feet onthe floor surface, and then subsequently swinging their legs back ontothe patient support apparatus. However, depending on where the patientsits when entering the patient support apparatus, their body may be toofar towards a head-end or a foot-end. In such circumstances, a caregivergenerally has to help reposition the patient to ensure proper support.

While conventional patient support apparatuses have generally performedwell for their intended purpose, there remains a need in the art for apatient support apparatus which overcomes the disadvantages in the priorart while, at the same time, contributing to improved patient mobility,safety, and ambulation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a patient support apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a control system of the patient supportapparatus of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a right-side view of a patient support apparatus show having abase, a patient support deck, and a lift mechanism supporting thepatient support deck in a first vertical configuration, shown with thepatient support deck arranged to support a patient in a flat position.

FIG. 4 is another right-side view of the patient support apparatus ofFIG. 3 , shown with the lift mechanism supporting the patient supportdeck in the first vertical configuration, and shown with the patientsupport deck arranged to support the patient in a fowlers position.

FIG. 5 is another right-side view of the patient support apparatus ofFIGS. 3-4 , shown with the lift mechanism supporting the patient supportdeck in a second vertical configuration adjacent to the base, and shownwith the patient support deck arranged to support the patient in thefowlers position.

FIG. 6 is another right-side view of the patient support apparatus ofFIGS. 3-5 , shown with the lift mechanism supporting the patient supportdeck in the second vertical configuration adjacent to the base, andshown with the patient support deck arranged to support the patient in amodified fowlers position.

FIG. 7 is another right-side view of the patient support apparatus ofFIGS. 3-6 , shown with the lift mechanism supporting the patient supportdeck in a reverse Trendelenburg configuration, and shown with thepatient support deck arranged to support the patient in the modifiedfowlers position.

FIG. 8 is another right-side view of the patient support apparatus ofFIGS. 3-6 , shown with the lift mechanism supporting the patient supportdeck in a reverse Trendelenburg configuration, and shown with thepatient support deck arranged to support the patient in another modifiedfowlers position.

FIG. 9 is a perspective illustration of a patient supported in a patientsupport apparatus.

FIG. 10 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIG. 9 , depicting a caregiver preparing thepatient for egress from the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 11 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-10 , depicting the caregiver activating anegress input of the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 12 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-11 , depicting the caregiver repositioninga foot-end side rail of the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 13 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-12 , depicting the caregiver repositioninga head-end side rail of the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 14 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-13 , depicting the caregiver moving thepatient's legs off the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 15 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-14 , depicting the caregiver repositioningthe foot-end side rail of the patient support apparatus with the patientseated between the head-end side rail and the foot-end side rail.

FIG. 16 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-15 , depicting the caregiver assisting thepatient with ambulation to the floor surface from the patient supportapparatus.

FIG. 17 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 8-16 , depicting the patient standing on thefloor surface for ambulation away from the patient support apparatus.

FIG. 18 is another perspective illustration of the patient and patientsupport apparatus of FIGS. 9-17 , depicting the patient ambulating awayfrom the patient support apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-8 , a patient support apparatus 30 is shown forsupporting a patient in a health care setting. The patient supportapparatus 30 illustrated throughout the drawings is realized as ahospital bed. In other embodiments, however, the patient supportapparatus 30 may be a stretcher, a cot, a table, a wheelchair, a chair,or a similar apparatus utilized in the care of a patient.

A support structure 32 provides support for the patient. In therepresentative embodiment illustrated herein, the support structure 32comprises a base 34 movable about a floor surface F, an intermediateframe 36, and a patient support deck 38. The intermediate frame 36 andthe patient support deck 38 are spaced above the base 34 in FIG. 1 . Asis described in greater detail below, the intermediate frame 36 and thepatient support deck 38 are arranged for movement relative to the base34.

As is best depicted in FIGS. 3-8 , the patient support deck 38 has atleast one deck section 40 arranged for movement relative to theintermediate frame 36 to support the patient in different positions,orientations, and the like. The deck sections 40 of the patient supportdeck 38 provide a patient support surface 42 upon which the patient issupported. More specifically, in the representative embodiment of thepatient support apparatus 30 illustrated herein, the patient supportdeck 38 has four deck sections 40 which cooperate to define the patientsupport surface 42: a back section 44, a seat section 46, a leg section48, and a foot section 50. Here, the seat section 46 is fixed to theintermediate frame 36 and is not arranged for movement relative thereto.However, it will be appreciated that the seat section 46 could bemovable relative to other deck sections 40 in some embodiments.Conversely, the back section 44 and the leg section 48 are arranged formovement relative to each other and to the intermediate frame 36, asdescribed in greater detail below, and the foot section 50 is arrangedto move partially concurrently with the leg section 48. Otherconfigurations and arrangements are contemplated.

A mattress 52 is disposed on the patient support deck 38 during use. Themattress 52 comprises a secondary patient support surface upon which thepatient is supported. The base 34, the intermediate frame 36, and thepatient support deck 38 each have a head-end HE and a foot-end FEcorresponding to designated placement of the patient's head and feet onthe patient support apparatus 30. It will be appreciated that thespecific configuration of the support structure 32 may take on any knownor conventional design, and is not limited to that specificallyillustrated and described herein. In addition, the mattress 52 may beomitted in certain embodiments, such that the patient can rest directlyon the patient support surface 42 defined by the deck sections 40 of thepatient support deck 38.

Side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 are coupled to the support structure 32 andare supported by the intermediate frame 36. A first side rail 54 ispositioned at a right head-end of the intermediate frame 36. A secondside rail 56 is positioned at a right foot-end of the intermediate frame36. A third side rail 58 is positioned at a left head-end of theintermediate frame 36. A fourth side rail 60 is positioned at a leftfoot-end of the intermediate frame 36. As is described in greater detailbelow in connection with FIGS. 9-18 , one or more of the side rails 54,56, 58, 60 are advantageously movable between a raised position SR inwhich they block ingress and egress into and out of the patient supportapparatus 30, one or more intermediate positions SI, and a loweredposition SL in which they are not an obstacle to such ingress andegress. The side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 may be manually movable betweenthe positions SR, SI, SL, such as with a mechanical linkage, or may beprovided with actuators to assist the caregiver in moving between thepositions SR, SI, SL. The Applicant has described embodiments of patientsupport apparatuses having side rails equipped with actuators for“motorized” movement in United States Patent Application Publication No.US 2017/0172829 A1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. Other configurations are contemplated.

The side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 could be of any suitable type,arrangement, or configuration sufficient to selectively limit patientingress/egress from the patient support apparatus 30. It will beappreciated that there may be fewer side rails for certain embodiments,such as where the patient support apparatus 30 is realized as astretcher or a cot. Moreover, it will be appreciated that in certainconfigurations, the patient support apparatus 30 may not include anyside rails. Similarly, it will be appreciated that side rails may beattached to any suitable component or structure of the patient supportapparatus 30. Furthermore, in certain embodiments the side rails arecoupled to one of the deck sections 40 for concurrent movement. In FIGS.3-7 , which each depict right-side views of the patient supportapparatus 30, the side rails are omitted for clarity.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-8 , a headboard 62 and a footboard 64 arecoupled to the intermediate frame 36 of the support structure 32.However, it will be appreciated that the headboard 62 and/or footboard64 may be coupled to other locations on the patient support apparatus30, such as the base 34, or may be omitted in certain embodiments.

One or more grips 66 (or “handles”) are shown in FIG. 1 as beingintegrated into the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60, the headboard 62, and thefootboard 64. As is described in greater detail below, the grips 66formed in the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 are arranged to help facilitatepatient egress from the patient support apparatus 30. It will beappreciated that the grips 66 formed in the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60,as well as the grips 66 formed in the headboard 62 and the footboard 64,can also be used by a caregiver to facilitate movement of the patientsupport apparatus 30 over floor surfaces. Additional grips 66 may beintegrated into other components of the patient support apparatus 30,such as the intermediate frame 36. The grips 66 are shaped so as to begrasped by the patient or the caregiver. It will be appreciated that thegrips 66 could be integrated with or operatively attached to anysuitable portion of the patient support apparatus 30, or may be omittedfrom certain parts of the patient support apparatus 30 in certainembodiments.

Wheels 68 are coupled to the base 34 to facilitate transportation overfloor surfaces F. The wheels 68 are arranged in each of four quadrantsof the base 34, adjacent to corners of the base 34. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 1 , the wheels 68 are caster wheels able to rotate andswivel relative to the support structure 32 during transport. Here, eachof the wheels 68 forms part of a caster assembly 70 mounted to the base34. It should be understood that various configurations of the casterassemblies 70 are contemplated. In addition, in some embodiments, thewheels 68 are not caster wheels. Moreover, it will be appreciated thatthe wheels 68 may be non-steerable, steerable, non-powered, powered, orcombinations thereof. While the representative embodiment of the patientsupport apparatus 30 illustrated herein employs four wheels 68,additional wheels are also contemplated. For example, the patientsupport apparatus 30 may comprise four non-powered, non-steerablewheels, along with one or more additional powered wheels. In some cases,the patient support apparatus 30 may not include any wheels. In otherembodiments, one or more auxiliary wheels (powered or non-powered),which are optionally movable between stowed positions and deployedpositions, may be coupled to the support structure 32. In some cases,when auxiliary wheels are located between caster assemblies 70 andcontact the floor surface in the deployed position, they cause two ofthe caster assemblies 70 to be lifted off the floor surface, therebyshortening a wheel base of the patient support apparatus 30. A fifthwheel may also be arranged substantially in a center of the base 34.

The patient support apparatus 30 further comprises a lift mechanism,generally indicated at 72, which operates to lift and lower theintermediate frame 36 relative to the base 34 which, in turn, moves thepatient support deck 38 relative to the base 34 between a plurality oflift configurations, including a raised lift configuration 72A where thepatient support deck 38 is elevated vertically above the base 34 (seeFIGS. 3-4 ), a lowered lift configuration 72B where the patient supportdeck 38 is positioned adjacent to the base 34 (see FIGS. 5-6 ), or anydesired vertical position therebetween. To this end, the lift mechanism72 comprises a head-end lift actuator 74 and a foot-end lift actuator 76which are each arranged to facilitate movement of the intermediate frame36 with respect to the base 34. More specifically, the head-end liftactuator 74 is configured to move the head-end HE of the intermediateframe 36 relative to the base 34 between a raised head-end position 74A(see FIGS. 3-4 ), a lowered head-end position 74B (see FIGS. 5-6 ), andto other positions therebetween. Similarly, the foot-end lift actuator76 is configured to move the foot-end FE of the intermediate frame 36relative to the base 34 between a raised foot-end position 76A (seeFIGS. 3-4 ), a lowered foot-end position 76B (see FIGS. 5-6 ), and toother positions therebetween.

The lift actuators 74, 76 may be realized as linear actuators, rotaryactuators, or other types of actuators, and may be electrically,hydraulically, and/or pneumatically operated or combinations thereof. Itis contemplated that, in some embodiments, different arrangements oflift actuators may be employed, such as with rotary actuators coupled tothe base 34 and to the intermediate frame 36 with a linkage extendingtherebetween. The construction of the lift mechanism 72, the head-endlift actuator 74, and/or the foot-end lift actuator 76 may take on anyknown or conventional design, and is not limited to that specificallyillustrated. By way of non-limiting example, the lift mechanism 72 couldcomprise a “scissor” linkage arranged between the base 34 and theintermediate frame 36 with one or more actuators configured tofacilitate vertical movement of the patient support deck 38.

As is described in greater detail below, the lift mechanism 72 is alsoconfigured to move the patient support deck 38 relative to the base 34to an egress lift configuration 72C (see FIGS. 7-8 ). Here, the egresslift configuration 72C is defined with at least a portion of the patientsupport deck 38 arranged vertically higher than the lowered liftconfiguration 72B which is depicted in FIGS. 5-6 .

Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, dependingon the specific configuration of the patient support apparatus 30, aswell as the physical characteristics of the patient, positioning thelift mechanism 72 in the lowered lift configuration 72B (see FIGS. 5-6 )may place the patient support surface 42 too close to the floor surfaceF to facilitate proper ambulation away from the patient supportapparatus 30. Put differently, patient ambulation may be better achievedin a slightly raised lift configuration where the patient can transitionfrom sitting to standing without excessive effort. In some embodiments,such as the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-8 , the egress liftconfiguration 72C is defined by the head-end lift actuator 74 being inan egress head-end position 74C and the foot-end lift actuator 76 beingin an egress foot-end position 76C. Here, the egress head-end position74C is vertically higher than the lowered head-end position 74B (compareFIGS. 7-8 to FIGS. 5-6 ), and is vertically higher than the egressfoot-end position 76C so as to place the patient support deck 38 in aslight reverse Trendelenburg configuration. Other arrangement andconfigurations are contemplated, and the egress lift configuration 72C,the egress head-end position 74C, and the egress foot-end position 76Cwill each be described in greater detail below.

As noted above, the patient support deck 38 is operatively attached tothe intermediate frame 36, and the deck sections 40 are arranged formovement relative to the intermediate frame 36. In the representativeembodiment illustrated herein, the patient support apparatus 30comprises an articulation system, generally indicated at 78, coupled tothe patient support deck 38 to move the deck sections 40 relative to oneanother. To this end, the articulation system 78 comprises a back deckactuator 80 to move the back section 44 between a plurality of back restconfigurations, including a back flat configuration 80A (see FIG. 3 )and a back egress configuration 80B (see FIGS. 4-8 ). The articulationsystem 78 also comprises a leg deck actuator 82 to move the leg section48 between a plurality of leg rest configurations, including a leg flatconfiguration 82A (see FIGS. 3-5 ), a leg egress configuration 82B (seeFIGS. 6-7 ), and a leg ingress configuration 82C (see FIG. 8 ). As isdescribed in greater detail below, leg ingress configuration 82C isemployed to facilitate patient ingress, and the back egressconfiguration 80B and the leg egress configuration 82B are employed tohelp facilitate patient egress.

It will be appreciated that these configurations 80B, 82B, 82C can bedefined in different ways depending on the specific configuration of thepatient support apparatus 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the backegress configuration 80B may be defined as a “raised” configuration tosupport the patient in a fowlers position, and the leg egressconfiguration 82B may be likewise defined as a “raised” configuration tofurther support the patient in a modified fowlers position. Putdifferently, moving a side rail into a “raised” configuration does notnecessarily require vertical movement of the side rail. As shown in FIG.8 , the leg ingress configuration 82C may also be defined as a further“raised” configuration (compare FIG. 8 to FIG. 7 ) employed to supportthe patient in another, further modified fowlers position. It will beappreciated that the back deck actuator 80 can be configured to move toany suitable back rest configuration, and the leg deck actuator 82 canbe configured to move to any suitable leg rest configuration.

In the representative embodiment illustrated herein, the back deckactuator 80 and the leg deck actuator 82 are each realized as linearactuators disposed in force-translating relationship between theirrespective deck sections 40 and the intermediate frame 36. Morespecifically, the back deck actuator 80 is provided between theintermediate frame 36 and the back section 44, and the leg deck actuator82 is provided between the intermediate frame 36 and the leg section 48.Each of the actuators 80, 82 is arranged for independent movement toposition the respective deck sections 40 to adjust the shape of thepatient support surface 42. Put differently, the articulation system 78is configured to move the patient support deck 38, between a pluralityof deck configurations including a flat deck configuration 78A (see FIG.3 ), a fowlers deck configuration 78B (see FIGS. 4-5 ), an egress deckconfiguration 78C (see FIGS. 6-7 ), and an ingress deck configuration78D (see FIG. 8 ). Other deck configurations are contemplated.

Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the patientsupport apparatus 30 could employ any suitable number of deck actuators80, 82, of any suitable type or configuration sufficient to effectselective movement of the deck sections 40 relative to the supportstructure 32. By way of non-limiting example, the deck actuators 80, 82could be linear actuators or one or more rotary actuators drivenelectronically and/or hydraulically, and/or controlled or driven in anysuitable way. Moreover, the deck actuators 80, 82 could be mounted,secured, coupled, or otherwise operatively attached to the intermediateframe 36 and to the deck sections 40, either directly or indirectly, inany suitable way. In addition, one or more of the deck actuators 80, 82could be omitted for certain applications. Furthermore, while the footsection 50 moves concurrently with the leg section 48 and is articulablerelative thereto in response to movement of the leg deck actuator 82, itwill be appreciated that the foot section 50 could be provided with adedicated deck actuator in some embodiments.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-8 , the patient support apparatus 30employs a control system, generally indicated at 84, to effect operationof various functions of the patient support apparatus 30, as describedin greater detail below. To this end, and as is shown schematically inFIG. 2 , the control system 84 generally comprises a controller 86disposed in communication with one or more user interfaces 88 adaptedfor use by the patient and/or the caregiver to facilitate operation ofone or more functions of the patient support apparatus 30 and/or otherdevices typically utilized in patient healthcare settings (for example,television controls). In certain embodiments, the controller 86 is alsodisposed in communication with the lift actuators 74, 76, the deckactuators 80, 82, and with various sensors employed to determine certainoperating conditions of the patient support apparatus 30 and/or changesin patient status, behavior, position, condition, and the like as isdescribed in greater detail below.

As noted above, the controller 86 is best depicted schematically in FIG.2 , and has been omitted from certain drawings for clarity. It will beappreciated that the controller 86 and/or the control system 84 can beconfigured or otherwise arranged in a number of different ways,depending on the specific configuration of the patient support apparatus30. The controller 86 may have one or more microprocessors forprocessing instructions or for processing an algorithm stored in memoryto control operation of the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82, communication withthe user interfaces 88, sensors, and the like. Additionally oralternatively, the controller 86 may comprise one or moremicrocontrollers, field programmable gate arrays, systems on a chip,discrete circuitry, and/or other suitable hardware, software, orfirmware that is capable of carrying out the various functions andoperations described herein. The controller 86 may be carried on-boardthe patient support apparatus 30, such as on the base 34, or may beremotely located. The controller 86 may comprise one or moresubcontrollers configured to control the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82,sensors, and/or user interfaces 88 or one or more subcontrollers foreach actuator 74, 76, 80, 82, sensor, and/or user interface 88. Thecontroller 86 may communicate with the actuators 78, 80, sensors, userinterfaces 88, or other systems or components via wired or wirelessconnections.

It will be appreciated that patient support apparatus 30 may comprisemore than one user interface 88, positioned and/or configured so as tobe accessible by the patient, by the caregiver, or by both the caregiverand the patient. The user interface 88 of the patient support apparatus30 generally comprises an input device 90 configured to generate aninput signal IS in response to activation by a user which, in turn, iscommunicated to the controller 86. The controller 86 is responsive tothe input signal IS and can control or otherwise carry out one or morefunctions of the patient support apparatus 30 in response to receivingthe input signal IS. Put differently, the controller 86 is configured toperform a function of the patient support apparatus 30 in response toreceiving the input signal IS from the input device 90. By way ofnon-limiting example, the input device 90 could be realized as a “liftbed” button, activation of which causes the controller 86 to drive thelift actuators 74, 76 to move the patient support deck 38 and theintermediate frame 36 vertically away from the base 34. Those havingordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the input device 90 ofthe user interface 88 could be configured in a number of different wayssufficient to generate the input signal IS.

In certain embodiments, as described in greater detail below, the userinterface 88 may also comprise indicators 92 configured to communicateinformation to the user, such as an operating condition of the patientsupport apparatus 30 itself, a status condition of the patient, and thelike. It will be appreciated that indicators 92 could be utilized,configured, and/or arranged in a number of different ways sufficient tocommunicate information to the patient and/or the caregiver. Here too,it will be appreciated that the user interface 88 could similarly beprovided in a number of different styles, shapes, configurations, andthe like. By way of non-limiting example, the user interface 88 could berealized as a touchscreen which serves as both an input device 90 (forexample, a capacitive touch interface) and an indicator 92 (for example,a display screen). Additionally, one or more user interfaces 88 could beimplemented with a discrete indicator 92 but without a dedicated,localized input device 90 (for example, a light emitting diode (LED)coupled to a side rail), or vice-versa (for example, a button coupled toa side rail). Thus, it will be appreciated that the user interface 88could comprise a number of indicators 92 and/or input devices 90 eachcoupled to the same or different components or structural features ofthe patient support apparatus 30 in certain embodiments.

With continued reference to FIG. 2 , as noted above, the patient supportapparatus 30 utilizes various sensors disposed in communication with thecontroller 86 to monitor operating conditions of the patient supportapparatus 30 and/or status conditions of the patient. In someembodiments, the patient support apparatus 30 comprises a patient sensor94 to determine the presence and/or position of the patient supported onthe patient support deck 38. To this end, the patient sensor 94 maycomprise one or more load cells disposed between the intermediate frame36 and the patient support deck 38 which monitor changes in thepatient's weight distribution about the patient support surface 42.However, it will be appreciated that the patient sensor 94 could be ofany suitable type or configuration sufficient to determine the presenceof and/or position of the patient, and could be disposed in any suitablelocation. By way of non-limiting example, the patient sensor 94 could berealized as a camera or sensor configured to determine a position and/ororientation of the patient on the patient support surface 42. Othertypes of patient sensors 94, such as those configured to respond tochanges in the patient's status and/or vital signs, are contemplated.

In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus 30 comprises ahead-end lift sensor 96 to determine movement of the head-end HE of theintermediate frame 36 between the head end positions 74A, 74B, 74C and afoot-end lift sensor 98 to determine movement of the foot-end FE of theintermediate frame 36 between the foot end positions 76A, 76B, 76C.Similarly, the patient support apparatus 30 may comprise a back decksensor 100 to determine movement of the back deck actuator 80 betweenthe back configurations 80A, 80B, and a leg deck sensor 102 to determinemovement of the leg deck actuator 82 between the leg configurations 82A,82B, 82C. Further, the patient support apparatus 30 may comprise ahead-end side rail sensor 104 to determine movement of one of the firstand third side rails 54, 58 between the side rail positions SR, SL, SI,and a foot-end side rail sensor 106 to determine movement of one of thesecond and fourth side rails 56, 60 between the side rail positions SR,SL, SI. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thelift sensors 96, 98, the deck sensors 100, 102, and/or the side railsensors 104, 106 are disposed in communication with the controller 86and could be realized in a number of different ways, such as with one ormore linear potentiometers, range sensors, hall-effect sensors, limitswitches, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and the like generally configuredor arranged to measure position, height, and/or movement. Further,certain sensors described above could be encoders, current sensors, andthe like coupled to or in communication with one of the lift actuators74, 76 and/or the deck actuators 80, 82. Moreover, it will beappreciated that the functionality afforded by the sensors describedabove could be entirely or partially realized with software or code forcertain applications.

In one embodiment, the patient support apparatus 30 comprises a beddetection system, generally indicated at 108 in FIG. 2 , which isconfigured to monitor data D associated with one or more of an operatingcondition of the patient support apparatus 30 and a status of thepatient supported on the patient support deck 38, and to communicatethese data D with a remote monitoring station, generally indicated at110. As will be appreciated from the subsequent description below, thebed detection system 108 may comprise a discrete module, component, subsystem, and the like which communicates with the controller 86 and/orvarious sensors described above. In the representative embodimentillustrated herein, the bed detection system 108 is formed as a part ofthe controller 86, which communicates data D with the remote monitoringstation 110 across a network 112, such as a wired or wireless Ethernetnetwork. Other configurations, communication protocols, and the like,are contemplated.

In some embodiments, the bed detection system 108 comprises a bed exitalarm system 114, whereby the data D communicated between the beddetection system 108 and the remote monitoring station 110 comprise bedexit alarm data DE. Here, via communication between the controller 86and the patient sensor 94, the bed detection system 108 monitors thepatient's position about the patient support surface 42 and isresponsive to patient movement which indicates that the patient hasexited the patient support apparatus 30 or is about to exit the patientsupport apparatus 30. By way of non-limiting example, where the patientsensor 94 comprises load cells to monitor the patient's weightdistribution, a shift in weight to one side and/or end of the bed mayindicate a pre-exit condition, and a change in the total weight mayindicate an exit condition. The bed exit alarm system 114 is typically“disarmed” via an egress input 90A of the user interface 88, and “armed”via a resume input 90B of the user interface 88, which may be a discrete“button” separate from the egress input 90A in some embodiments, or maybe realized as a “state” of the same “button” as the egress input 90A.Other configurations of the user interface 88 are contemplated.

One or more user interfaces 88 may be local to the patient supportapparatus 30 and/or may be implemented into other devices remote fromthe patient support apparatus 30. Here, once the patient has completedingress to the patient support apparatus 30, the caregiver actuates theresume input 90B to begin or resume monitoring for patient movementindicative of pre-exit or exit conditions and, if the patient attemptsto exit the patient support apparatus 30 while the bed exit alarm system114 of the bed detection system 108 is armed, the controller 86communicates bed exit data DE to the remote monitoring station 110 toalert the caregiver. For example, the remote monitoring station 110could respond to the bed exit data DE by sounding an alarm, sending amessage to one or more caregivers, and the like. Similarly, the bed exitalarm system 114 could also be employed to activate other alarms, suchas visual, audible, and/or tactile alarms coupled to the patient supportapparatus 30, the remote monitoring station 110, a mobile device such asa tablet computer, and the like.

In addition to the bed exit alarm system 114 described above, the beddetection system 108 could also communicate other data D with the remotemonitoring station 110, such as data D representing the health, status,and/or condition of the patient (for example, vital signs). Furthermore,the bed detection system 108 could communicate data D associated withthe patient support apparatus 30 itself, such as to allow caregivers orother personnel at the remote monitoring station 110 to observe thelocation or movement of the patient support apparatus 30, theorientation of the articulation system 78, the orientation of the liftmechanism 72, and the like. Other configurations are contemplated. TheApplicant has described additional details and features of one type ofbed detection system in U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,376 B2, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Otherconfigurations are contemplated.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-8 , in one embodiment, the egress input 90Aof the user interface 88 cooperates with the controller 86 to facilitateplacing the patient support apparatus 30 in a condition which promotespatient egress in a simple and efficient manner. Here, when thecaregiver actuates the egress input 90A, the controller 86 interruptscommunication of the bed detection system 108 with the remote monitoringstation 110, drives the articulation system to move one or more of thedeck sections 40 of the patient support deck 38 into the egress deckconfiguration 78C (see FIGS. 6-7 ), and drives the lift mechanism 72 tomove the patient support deck 38 to the egress lift configuration 72C(see FIG. 7 ). Thus, via “one-touch” actuation of the egress input 90A,the caregiver is able to prevent inadvertent activation of the bed exitalarm system 114, drive the lift mechanism 72 to position the patientsupport deck 38 relative to the floor surface F at a height that isadvantageous for patient ambulation, and drive the articulation system78 to arrange the deck sections 40 into a configuration that isadvantageous for patient ambulation with “one-touch” of the egress input90A. Put differently, the caregiver does not have to sequentiallyactuate multiple, discrete input devices 90 to disarm the bed exit alarmsystem 114, adjust the lift mechanism 72, and adjust the articulationsystem 78 when assisting the patient with egress and ambulation to thefloor surface F.

As noted above, activation of the egress input 90A by the userinterrupts communication between the bed detection system 108 and theremote monitoring station 110. Put differently, activation of the egressinput 90A advantageously “disarms” the bed exit alarm system 114 during,preceding, or immediately following movement of the lift mechanism 72 tothe egress lift configuration 72C and/or movement of the articulationsystem 78 to the egress deck configuration 78C. Here, because thecaregiver does not need to actuate multiple discrete input devices 90 toposition the patient for ambulation, scenarios where the bed exit alarmsystem 114 is mistakenly left on while the caregiver is helping thepatient with egress are avoided. It will be appreciated that inadvertentactivation of the bed exit alarm system 114 is disadvantageous and hasthe potential to startle the patient mid-way through egress. Thus, the“one-touch” functionality afforded by the egress input 90A promotesenhanced patient care while, at the same time, enhancing caregiverusability of the patient support apparatus 30. As will be appreciatedfrom the subsequent description below, the term “interrupts” is usedherein to describe a change in the operation of the bed exit alarmsystem 114 and does not necessarily mean that all or even somecommunication is “stopped” between the bed detection system 108 and theremote monitoring station 110. On the contrary, activation of the egressinput 90A may result in a different type of electronic communicationbetween the bed detection system 108 and the remote monitoring station110, such as an “interrupt” signal being communicated between and/orinterpreted by the remote monitoring station 110 and/or the beddetection system 108 to prevent activation of the bed exit alarm system114 during patient egress following activation of the egress input 90A.

Once the patient has egressed from the patient support apparatus 30, itis advantageous to subsequently “arm” the bed exit alarm system 114 orotherwise restore communication between the bed detection system 108 andthe remote monitoring station 110, in particular after the patientreturns to the patient support apparatus 30 and completes ingress, as isdescribed in greater detail below. To this end, in one embodiment, thecontroller 86 is configured to restore communication between the beddetection system 108 and the remote monitoring station 110 when thepatient sensor 94 subsequently determines the patient is supported bythe patient support deck 38. In some embodiments, rather than arming thebed exit alarm system 114 and/or restoring communications between thebed detection system 108 and the remote monitoring station 110, thecontroller may be configured to prompt the caregiver, such as via anindicator 92, to manually arm the bed exit alarm system 114. Thus, thecontroller may be further configured to restore communication betweenthe bed detection system 108 and the remote monitoring station 110 inresponse to actuation of the resume input 90B. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the controller 86 is configured to automatically arm and/orrestore communications between the bed detection system 108 and theremote monitoring station 110 after a predetermined period followingpatient egress has lapsed. By way of illustration, the caregiver mayactivate the egress input 90A and help the patient to a bathroom beforeleaving the patient alone in the bathroom. If the patient falls, becomesunresponsive, or is otherwise away from the patient support apparatus 30for an extended period of time exceeding the predetermined period,arming the bed exit alarm system 114 and/or restoring communicationsbetween the bed detection system 108 and the remote monitoring station110 may advantageously alert the caregiver or other users that thepatient has been away from the patient support apparatus 30 for too longand potentially requires assistance. Other configurations and scenariosare contemplated.

As noted above, in the representative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 ,the egress lift configuration 72C of the lift mechanism 72 and theegress deck configuration 78C of the articulation system 78 areadvantageously implemented in connection with patient supportapparatuses 30 which are configured such that positioning the liftactuators 74, 76 at their respective lowered positions 74B, 76B(depicted in FIGS. 5-6 ) may be too low for the patient to egress fromand ingress to the patient support apparatus 30 easily. Here, when theegress input 90A is actuated by the caregiver, movement of the liftmechanism 72 to the egress lift configuration 72C is further defined bythe controller 86 driving the head-end lift actuator 74 to move the headend HE of the intermediate frame 36 to the egress head-end position 74C,and driving the foot-end lift actuator 76 to move the foot end FE of theintermediate frame 36 to the egress foot-end position 76C. Thisconfiguration places the intermediate frame 36 into a slight reverseTrendelenburg configuration irrespective of the orientation of thearticulation system 78 (compare FIG. 7 to FIG. 6 ). Here too in theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 , the controller 86 also adjusts thearticulation system 78 so as to advantageously position the patient foregress from the patient support apparatus 30 by moving to the egressdeck configuration 78C. More specifically, in the representativeembodiment illustrated herein, movement of the articulation system 78 tothe egress deck configuration 78C is further defined by the controller85 driving the back deck actuator 80 to move the back section 44 to theback egress configuration 80B, and driving the leg deck actuator 82 tomove the leg section 48 to the leg egress configuration 82B (see FIGS.6-7 ; compare with FIGS. 5 and 3 ).

The egress lift configuration 72C and the egress deck configuration 78Cdepicted in FIG. 7 help position the patient's feet closer to the floorsurface F than depicted in FIG. 5 where the leg deck actuator 82positions the leg section 48 and the foot section 50 in the leg flatconfiguration 82A and where the lift actuators 74, 76 are each in theirrespective lowered positions 74B, 76B. Thus, the patient supportapparatus 30 is able to position the patient in ways which areadvantageous for ambulation to the floor surface F by bringing theirfeet as close as possible to the floor surface F while providing astable patient support surface 42 to sit upward from. More specifically,and with continued reference to FIG. 7 , in the illustrated embodiment,the leg section 48 of the patient support deck 38 is substantiallyparallel with the floor surface F when the head end HE of theintermediate frame 36 is in the egress head-end position 74C, when thefoot end FE of the intermediate frame 36 is in the egress foot-endposition 76C, when the back section 44 is in the back egressconfiguration 80B, and when the leg section 48 is in the leg egressconfiguration 82B. Here too, the foot end FE of the intermediate frame36 is closer to the floor surface F than the back section 40 of thepatient support deck 38 when the head end HE of the intermediate frame36 is in the egress head-end position 74C, when the foot end FE of theintermediate frame 36 is in the egress foot-end position 76C, when theback section 44 is in the back egress configuration 80B, and when theleg section 48 is in the leg egress configuration 82B.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-8 , it will be appreciated that thecontroller 86 can be configured in a number of different ways tofacilitate moving the lift mechanism 72 to the egress lift configuration72C and the articulation system 78 to the egress deck configuration 78C.In one embodiment, the controller 86 is configured to independently andsequentially drive the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82 in response to actuationof the egress input 90A. By way of illustrative example, if the patientsupport apparatus 30 is arranged as depicted in FIG. 3 , with the liftmechanism 70 in the raised lift configuration 72A and with thearticulation system 78 in the flat deck configuration 78A, it isconceivable that the controller 86 could first drive the back deckactuator 80 to move the back section 44 from the back flat configuration80A (see FIG. 3 ) to the back egress configuration 80B (see FIG. 4 )before driving the leg deck actuator 82 or either of the lift actuators74, 76. Depending on the specific configuration of the patient supportapparatus 30, it may be advantageous to drive certain actuators 74, 76,80, 82 before others. By way of illustrative example, in one embodiment,the controller 86 is configured to drive the leg deck actuator 82 tomove the leg section 48 of the patient support deck 38 to the leg egressconfiguration 82B prior to driving the foot-end lift actuator 76 and/orthe head-end lift actuator 74. However, those having ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that the controller 86 could be configured todrive the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82 in a number of different sequences,orders, and the like.

In one embodiment, the controller 86 is configured to simultaneouslydrive each of the lift actuators 74, 76 and each of the deck actuators80, 82 toward their respective egress positions 74C, 76C and egressconfigurations 80C, 82C. In some embodiments, the controller 86 isconfigured to drive each of the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82 at independentdrive speeds to effect coordinated motion to the egress head-endposition 74C, the egress foot-end position 76C, the back egressconfiguration 80B, and the leg egress configuration 82B. Here, bymonitoring the positions of each of the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82 via thesensors 96, 98, 100, 102, the controller 86 is able to drive eachactuator 74, 76, 80, 82 to arrive at the egress positions andconfigurations 74C, 76C, 80B, 82B together from wherever the actuators74, 76, 80, 82 are positioned when the user actuates the egress input90A. In some embodiments, the controller 86 is configured to drive eachof the actuators 74, 76, 80, 82 at independent drive speeds such thatmovement into at least two of the egress head-end position 74C, theegress foot-end position 76C, the back egress configuration 80B, and theleg egress configuration 80C occurs substantially simultaneously.However, it will be appreciated that other configurations and types ofcoordinated movement are contemplated. By way of illustration, thecontroller 86 could coordinate movement of each of the lift actuators74, 76, but drive the deck actuators 80, 82 sequentially.

In one embodiment, the controller 86 is configured to drive thearticulation system 78 from the egress deck configuration 78C (see FIG.7 ) to the ingress deck configuration 78D (see FIG. 8 ) after apredetermined period where the patient sensor 94 detects an absence ofthe patient on the patient support deck 38. In the representativeembodiment illustrated herein, the ingress deck configuration 78D issimilar to the egress deck configuration 78C, except for the orientationof the leg section 48 and the seat section 50 of the patient supportdeck 38. In order to move the articulation system 78 to the ingress deckconfiguration 78D, the controller 86 drives the leg deck actuator 82 soas to move the leg section 48 from the leg egress position 82B (see FIG.7 ) to the leg ingress configuration 82C (see FIG. 8 ). In the legingress configuration 82C, the leg section 48 of the patient supportdeck 38 is no longer substantially parallel to the floor surface F(compare FIG. 8 to FIG. 7 ). Rather, as depicted in FIG. 8 , the legsection 48 is elevated when the articulation system 78 is in the ingressdeck configuration 78D. This arrangement helps guide the patient back tothe proper position on the patient support surface 42 during ingress.More specifically, because the back section 44 and the leg section 48are each raised or “tilted” relative to the seat section 46, thepatient's body is guided toward the seat section 46 when sitting duringingress. Thus, sitting on the “tilted” back section 44 or leg section 48is substantially avoided when the articulation system 78 is in theingress deck configuration 78D depicted in FIG. 8 .

In some embodiments, once the patient has initiated ingress from thefloor surface F and has sat upon the portion of the patient supportsurface 42 between the “tilted” back section 44 and leg section 48 asdepicted in FIG. 8 , the controller 86 is further configured to returnto the deck configuration depicted in FIG. 7 so as to ease the processof swinging the patient's legs onto the mattress 52 from the floorsurface F. Here, it will be appreciated that the controller 86 coulddetermine that the patient is sitting on the correct portion of thepatient support surface 42 by using the patient sensor 94, as notedabove.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-18 , as noted above the patient supportapparatus 30 comprises side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 to help control patientingress and egress, whereby one or more of the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60are generally movable between different side rail positions SR, SL, SI.In one embodiment, the patient support apparatus 30 is furtherconfigured to help guide the caregiver through the process of assistingthe patient with egress to the floor surface F. To this end, and as isdescribed below in connection with FIGS. 9-18 , the controller activatesdifferent indicators 92 in response to the relative position of the siderails 54, 56, 58, 60 via the side rail sensors 104, 106, as well as thedifferent configurations of the lift mechanism 72 and the articulationsystem 78 noted above.

As is depicted schematically in FIG. 2 and is described in connectionwith FIGS. 9-18 below, in one embodiment the patient support apparatus30 comprises a foot-end side rail indicator 92A and a head-end side railindicator 92B. In some embodiments, the foot-end side rail indicator 92Ais coupled to the second side rail 56 and/or the fourth side rail 60,and the head-end side rail indicator 92B is coupled to the first siderail 54 and/or the third side rail 58, such that the side railindicators 92A, 98B move concurrently with their respective side rail56, 60, 54, 58 between the raised side rail position SR, the loweredside rail position SL, and the intermediate side rail position SIdescribed above. However, it will be appreciated that each of the siderail indicators 92A, 92B could be located in common area, such as adisplay screen of a user interface 88. Furthermore, as will beappreciated from the subsequent description below, the side railindicators 92A, 92B could be of a number of different types orarrangements suitable to communicate the position of the respective siderail 56, 60, 54, 58. By way of non-limiting example, the side railindicators 92A, 92B could be discrete light-emitting diodes (LEDs) whichare operable between different indication states, such as an “on” firstindication state I1 and an “off” second indication state I2. Otherconfigurations are contemplated, such as where the indication states I1,I2 are designated by different colors, sounds, haptic patterns, and thelike. By way of non-limiting example, it is conceivable that the siderail indicators 92A, 92B could be implemented as discrete LEDs arrangedto illuminate all or a portion of the respective side rails 56, 60, 54,58, such as the grips 66. By way of further example, the side railindicators 92A, 92B could be implemented as haptic modules to generatelocalized vibration at the grips 66 or other portions of the side rails56, 60, 54, 58. Furthermore, as noted above, the side rail indicators92A, 92B could be implemented as text-based prompts presented on adisplay screen of the user interface 88 which, as noted above, could becoupled to any suitable portion of the patient support apparatus 30,such as to the headboard 62, the footboard 64, and the like. Otherarrangements and configurations are contemplated.

FIGS. 9-18 sequentially illustrate one way in which patient egress iscarried out with the assistance of the caregiver. As will be appreciatedfrom the subsequent description below, the reverse sequence (FIG. 18 toFIG. 9 ) could also be used to illustrate one way in which patientingress is carried out with the assistance of the caregiver. However,for the purposes of clarity and consistency, the following descriptionof FIGS. 9-18 will be made in connection with patient egress.

In FIG. 9 , the patient is shown laying in a fowlers position on thepatient support apparatus 30. Here, the patient is also shown activatingan input device 90 coupled to the third side rail 58 (arranged at theleft head end HE) to get the caregiver's attention (for example, via anurse call system). In FIG. 10 , the caregiver is shown positionedadjacent to the patient support apparatus 30, and is preparing thepatient for egress. In the illustrated example, the caregiver isdisconnecting a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) system.

In FIG. 11 , the caregiver is shown actuating the egress input 90A todrive the lift mechanism 72 and/or the articulation system 78 torespective egress configurations 72C, 78C, with the patient support deck38 positioned closer to the floor surface F and with the back section 44tilted further toward the foot end FE (compare FIG. 11 to FIG. 10 ;positions and configurations not labeled). As noted above, the egressconfigurations 72C, 78C can be defined in different ways depending onthe embodiment of the patient support apparatus 30. Thus, for thepurposes of clarity and simplicity in connection with the illustratedembodiment depicted in FIGS. 9-18 , the egress lift configuration 72C isdefined as a suitable vertical configuration of the patient support deck38 sufficient to promote ambulation, and the egress deck configuration78C is defined as a suitable arrangement of deck sections 40 to promoteambulation.

With continued reference to FIG. 11 , in this embodiment, the foot-endside rail indicator 92A is coupled to the fourth side rail 60 and isshown “on” in the first indication state I1. In this exemplaryembodiment, the foot-end side rail indicator 92A is implemented as adiscrete LED which emits visible light in the first indication state I1to prompt the caregiver to move the fourth side rail 60 as the next stepin carrying out patient egress. Here, because the controller 86 knowsthe position of the fourth side rail 60 via the foot-end side railsensor 106 (see FIG. 2 ), and because the controller 86 knows thatpatient egress is desired based on the activation of the egress input90A, the controller 86 is configured to move the foot-end side railindicator 92A from being “off” in the second indication state I2 (seeFIG. 10 ) to being “on” in the first indication state I1 (see FIG. 11 ).Put differently, when the patient support deck 38 is moved to the egresslift configuration 72C via the lift mechanism 72 and to the egress deckconfiguration 78C via the articulation system 78 in response toactivation of the egress input 90A, if the controller 86 determines thatthe fourth side rail 60 (at the foot-end and on the same side as theuser interface) is in an undesired position concerning egress (forexample, in a raised side rail position SR which blocks egress asdepicted in FIG. 11 ), then the controller 86 activates the foot-endside rail indicator 92A to prompt the user to move the fourth side rail60 to the lowered side rail position SL so as to facilitate patientegress. In some embodiments, such as those where the side rails 54, 56,58, 60 are “motorized” or are otherwise provided with actuators (notshown) to facilitate automated movement of the side rails 54, 56, 58,60, it will be appreciated that the controller 86 could be configured todrive one or more actuators to move the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60automatically, as opposed to “prompting” the caregiver to move themmanually. Here too, the controller 86 could request confirmation fromthe caregiver, such as via one or more indicators or via the userinterface 88, to “confirm” that the respective side rail 54, 56, 58, 60is ready to be moved with an actuator prior to actually moving the siderail 54, 56, 58, 60. Here, confirmation may be effected by actuation ofan input device 90. Other configurations are contemplated. While theside rails 54, 56, 58, 60 may be manually moved by the caregiver orautomatically moved via actuators driven by the controller 86, as notedabove, for the purposes of clarity and consistency, subsequentdescription of side rail 54, 56, 58, 60 will be made with respect tomanual movement by the caregiver.

FIG. 12 depicts the caregiver having moved the fourth side rail 60 toits lowered side rail position SL. Here, the foot-end side railindicator 92A has been deactivated via the controller 86 and is in the“off” second indication state I2 (compare FIG. 12 with FIG. 11 ). Inaddition, FIG. 12 also depicts the head-end side rail indicator 92Bcoupled to the third side rail 58, which here is shown “on” in the firstindication state I1. In this part of the egress process, the head-endside rail indicator 92B is similarly implemented as a discrete LED whichemits visible light in the first indication state I1 to prompt thecaregiver to move the third side rail 58 as the next step in carryingout patient egress. Here, because the controller 86 knows the positionof the third side rail 58 via the head-end side rail sensor 104 (seeFIG. 2 ), and because the controller 86 knows that patient egress isdesired based on the activation of the egress input 90A, the controller86 is configured to move the head-end side rail indicator 92B from being“off” in the second indication state I2 (see FIG. 11 ) to being “on” inthe first indication state I1 (see FIG. 12 ). Put differently, when thepatient support deck 38 is moved to the egress lift configuration 72Cvia the lift mechanism 72 and to the egress deck configuration 78C viathe articulation system 78 in response to activation of the egress input90A, if the controller 86 determines that the third side rail 58 (at thehead-end and on the same side as the user interface) is in an undesiredposition concerning egress (for example, in the lowered side railposition SL that limits patient access to the grip 66 as depicted inFIG. 12 ), then the controller 86 activates the head-end side railindicator 92B to prompt the user to move the third side rail 58 to theraised side rail position SR or the intermediate side rail position SIso as to position the grip 66 of the third side rail 58 for use by thepatient to facilitate patient egress. While the illustrative exampledescribed above and illustrated in FIGS. 12-13 depicts alerting the userto move the fourth side rail 60 prior to alerting the user to move thethird side rail 58, it will be appreciated that the controller 86 couldsimultaneously put both side rail indicators 92A, 92B in the firstindication state I1, whereby the user could move the side rails 58, 60to the desired positions in any suitable order. Here, it will beappreciated that the controller 86 could be configured to activate oneor more indicators 92, or otherwise prompt the caregiver, to move one ormore of the side rails 54, 56, 58, 60 in a specific order or sequence,depending on the relative position of each of the side rails 54, 56, 58,60 and whether patient ingress or patient egress is being carried out.Other configurations are contemplated.

FIG. 14 depicts the caregiver swinging the patient's legs and feet offthe patient support surface 42 so as to bring the patient into a seatedposition which, in turn, is depicted in FIG. 15 . Here, when thecontroller 86 determines that the patient has moved into a seatedposition on the patient support surface 42, such as via the patientsensor 94 described above, the controller 86 subsequently activates thefoot-end side rail indicator 92A to the first indication state I1 (notshown in FIGS. 14-15 ) so as to prompt the user to raise the fourth siderail 60 from the lowered side rail position SL (for example, to theraised side rail position SR or to the intermediate side rail positionSI) so as to position the grip 66 of the fourth side rail 60 for use bythe patient to facilitate patient egress.

FIGS. 16-18 depict the patient grasping the grips 66 of the third andfourth side rails 58, 60 to help transition from the seated position(see FIG. 16 ) to a standing position (see FIG. 17 ) on the floorsurface F, and then ambulating away from the patient support apparatus30 (see FIG. 18 ). Here, while the caregiver is assisting the patient inegress from the seated position, both of the side rail indicators 92A,92B are shown “off” in the second indication state I2. However, in oneembodiment, the controller 86 is further configured to activate the siderail indicators 92A, 92B to “on” in the first indication state I1 aftera predetermined period following when the patient sensor 94 determinesthat the patient has left the patient support deck 38. Here, byactivating the side rail indicators 92A, 92B to “on” in the firstindication state I1, or to some different indication state (for example,a different color, a different light intensity, and the like), thepatient can be guided toward the grips 66 of the third and fourth siderails 58, 60 so as to facilitate subsequent ingress back to the patientsupport apparatus 30 at the correct location between the back section 44and the leg section 48, as described in greater detail above. It will beappreciated that this configuration may be advantageously implementedwhere there is insufficient ambient light.

As noted above, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat the process of completing subsequent ingress to the patient supportapparatus 30 can occur by performing the general steps described abovein connection with FIGS. 9-18 in reverse order. For example, once thepatient has returned to the seated position, the controller 86 couldactivate the foot-end side rail indicator 92 so as to prompt the user tolower the fourth side rail 60 to allow room for swinging the patient'slegs back onto the patient support surface 42.

In this way, the embodiments of the patient support apparatus 30 of thepresent disclosure afford significant opportunities for promotingpatient egress and ambulation from the patient support surface 42 to thefloor surface F, as well as for promoting patient ingress back to thepatient support surface 42. Specifically, it will be appreciated thatthe arrangement of the egress lift configuration 72C and the egress deckconfiguration 78C advantageously positions the patient's feet close tothe floor surface F while, at the same time, ensuring that the patientremains supported on the patient support surface 42. Furthermore, thearrangement of the ingress deck configuration 78D helps ensure that thepatient is properly seated on the patient support surface 42 duringingress which, in turn, significantly minimizes re-positioning of thepatient's body after ingress has been completed. Thus, injury anddiscomfort to the patient are reduced by minimizing re-positioning, andthe caregiver can properly position the patient in a simple fashionwithout necessitating that the caregiver struggle to re-position thepatient on the patient support surface 42. Further still, theembodiments of the patient support apparatus 30 described herein affordsignificant opportunities concerning usability by allowing caregivers toinitiate patient egress with “one-touch” activation of the egress input90A and, at the same time, ensuring that proper egress and/or ingressprocedures are followed by guiding the caregiver through the requisitesteps sequentially via activation of the indicators 92. Thus, thepatient support apparatus 30 can be manufactured in a cost-effectivemanner while, at the same time, affording opportunities for improvedfunctionality, features, and usability in connection with patientambulation and mobility.

It will be further appreciated that the terms “include,” “includes,” and“including” have the same meaning as the terms “comprise,” “comprises,”and “comprising.” Moreover, it will be appreciated that terms such as“first,” “second,” “third,” and the like are used herein todifferentiate certain structural features and components for thenon-limiting, illustrative purposes of clarity and consistency.

Several configurations have been discussed in the foregoing description.However, the configurations discussed herein are not intended to beexhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. Theterminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of wordsof description rather than of limitation. Many modifications andvariations are possible in light of the above teachings and theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention is intended to be defined in the independent claims, withspecific features laid out in the dependent claims, wherein thesubject-matter of a claim dependent from one independent claim can alsobe implemented in connection with another independent claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a patient support apparatushaving a patient support deck for supporting a patient, the methodcomprising: monitoring, with a bed detection system of the patientsupport apparatus, data associated with a status of a patient supportedon the patient support deck; communicating, via the bed detectionsystem, the data associated with the status of the patient with a remotemonitoring station; actuating an egress input of the patient supportapparatus; interrupting, with a controller of the patient supportapparatus, the communication between the bed detection system and theremote monitoring station in response to actuation of the egress input;driving, with the controller, an articulation system of the patientsupport apparatus to move one or more deck sections of the patientsupport deck to an egress deck configuration in response to actuation ofthe egress input; and driving, with the controller, a lift mechanism ofthe patient support apparatus to move the patient support deck to anegress lift configuration in response to actuation of the egress input.2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, with thecontroller, patient egress; and restoring communication between the beddetection system and the remote monitoring station after a predeterminedperiod following patient egress.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: detecting, with a patient sensor in communication with thecontroller, patient egress from the patient support deck; detecting,with the patient sensor, subsequent patient ingress to the patientsupport deck; and restoring communication between the bed detectionsystem and the remote monitoring station in response to the controllerdetermining that the patient is supported by the patient support deckbased on detecting subsequent patient ingress.
 4. The method of claim 1,further comprising: actuating a resume input of the patient supportapparatus; and restoring communication between the bed detection systemand the remote monitoring station in response to actuation of the resumeinput.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising driving, with thecontroller, a back deck actuator of the articulation system to move aback section of the patient support deck to a back egress configurationin response to actuation of the egress input.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising: determining, with a head-end side rail sensor, aposition of a head-end side rail arranged for movement between a loweredposition and one or more raised positions; determining, with thecontroller, that the head-end side rail is in an undesired position inresponse to actuation of the egress input; and activating, with thecontroller, a head-end side rail indicator to prompt a user to move thehead-end side rail to one of the raised positions.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising activating, with the controller, thehead-end side rail indicator at a first indication state in response todetermining that the head-end side rail is in the undesired position. 8.The method of claim 7, further comprising moving the head-end side railto one of the raised positions to arrange a head-end grip of thehead-end side rail for use by the patient so as to facilitate patientegress.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising activating, withthe controller, the head-end side rail indicator at a second indicationstate in response to determining that the head-end side rail is in oneof the raised positions.
 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:detecting, with a patient sensor in communication with the controller, apatient on the patient support deck; determining, with a foot-end siderail sensor, a position of a foot-end side rail arranged for movementbetween a lowered position and one or more raised positions;determining, with the head-end side rail sensor, that the head-end siderail has been moved to one of the raised positions; determining, withthe patient sensor, that the patient has moved to a seated position onthe patient support deck; determining, with the foot-end side railsensor, that the foot-end side rail is in the lowered position; andactivating, with the controller, a foot-end side rail indicator toprompt the user to move the foot-end side rail to one of the raisedpositions.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising moving thefoot-end side rail to one of the raised positions to arrange a foot-endgrip of the foot-end side rail for use by the patient so as tofacilitate patient egress.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising activating, with the controller, the foot-end side railindicator and the head-end side rail indicator in response todetermining, with the patient sensor, that the patient has left thepatient support deck to guide the patient toward the head-end grip andthe foot-end grip so as to facilitate subsequent patient ingress. 13.The method of claim 10, further comprising activating, with thecontroller, the foot-end side rail indicator in response to determining,with the patient sensor, that the patient has subsequently moved to aseated position on the patient support deck following egress and furtherin response to determining, with the foot-end side rail sensor, that thefoot-end side rail is in one of the raised positions to prompt the userto move the foot-end side rail to the lowered position to facilitatetransitioning the patient from the seated position to a flat position onthe patient support deck.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining, with a side rail sensor, a position of a side rail arrangedfor movement between a lowered position and one or more raisedpositions; determining, with the controller, that the side rail is in anundesired position in response to actuation of the egress input; andactivating, with the controller, a side rail indicator to prompt a userto move the side rail to one of the raised positions.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising activating, with the controller, the siderail indicator at a first indication state in response to determiningthat the side rail is in the undesired position.
 16. The method of claim15, further comprising moving the side rail to one of the raisedpositions to arrange a grip of the side rail for use by the patient soas to facilitate patient egress.
 17. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising activating, with the controller, the side rail indicator at asecond indication state in response to determining that the side rail isin one of the raised positions.